ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: According to ROMA IV (R-IV), in schoolchildren and adolescents in Colombia and Ecuador, the prevalence to present some functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) is 21.2%-22.3% being the main FGID the functional constipation (FC). There’s no data about infants and toddlers in latinoamerican countries (Latam). OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of FGIDs in children in 3 Latam countries according to R-IV. METHODS: 11493 children in Colombia, Ecuador and Panama were included: 1382 infants aged 0-12 months (Group A, 7.3+/-3.7 months), 2631 toddlers aged 1-4 years (Group B, 2.5+/-0.9 years old), 2791 schoolchildren aged 8-12 years (Group C, 10.6+/-1.2 years) and 4689 adolescents aged 13-18 years (Group D, 14.8+/-1.4 years). FGIDs were identified through the Questionnaire of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rome IV (QPGS-IV). RESULTS: The prevalence to present some FGID was 15.8% in infants;23.3% in toddlers;21.1% in schoolchildren and 22.1% in adolescents;being the most frequent FGDI in the Group A, colic (7.6%), regurgitation (6.4%) and FC (4.7%);in the Group B, FC (17.6%), cyclic vomiting syndrome (5.4%) and functional diarrhea (0.3%);in the Group C, FC (12.5%), functional dyspepsia (2.8%) and irritable bowel syndrome (1.8%), and the Group D, FC (11.1%), functional dyspepsia (3.9%) and functional abdominal pain (1.9%). There were more FGDIs in infants with caesarean section (OR=1.7 95%CI=1.22-2.41 p=0.0010), toddlers with previous diarrhea (OR=1.7 95% CI=1.39-2.23 p=0.0000), in schoolchildren with previous dengue infection (OR=2.0 95%CI=1.24-3.25 p=0.0019) and adolescents in covid-19 confinement (OR=1.4 95%CI =1.13-1.78 p=0.0013). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence for FGIDs was lower in infants whose main FGDI was colic;the FC was one of the main FGIDs in all the age groups, being associated in children younger than 4 years old to caesarean section and history of diarrhea and children between 8-18 years old to history of dengue and confinement.